The squadron's first predecessor was organized in 1939 as the 24th Bombardment Squadron. It served as a test organization for light bomber and attack aircraft until it was disbanded in 1942.
Its second predecessor was activated later in 1942 as the 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to India, operating mapping detachments in India and China. At the end of World War II, it moved to the Philippines, where it was inactivated in 1946. Redesignated the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron, it was activated in the reserve in 1947, but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped with combat aircraft before inactivating in 1949. It was reactivated in 1951 under Strategic Air Command as the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron. Its mission changed to bombardment the following year, but with two active units both named the 24th Bombardment Squadron, it was inactivated six months later.
The third predecessor of the squadron is the 24th Helicopter Squadron, activated as a light transport unit. It trained in the United States before moving to Japan, where it served until inactivating in 1960. In 1969, it was redesignated the 24th Special Operations Squadron and activated in the Panama Canal Zone. It was redesignated the 24th Composite Squadron in 1971. In 1985, it was consolidated with the other two predecessor units. The squadron participated in Operation Just Cause before inactivating in 1991 as the Air Force reduced its presence in Panama.
From 1987 to 1991 and again from 2018 to 2022 it was active as the 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron.
Mission
The squadron conducts advanced training on the Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf, focused on complex operational scenarios, including night landings, low-altitude maneuvers and precision targeting.[3]
History
World War II
Proving ground unit
The first predecessor of the squadron was the 24th Bombardment Squadron (Light) which was activated in late 1939 as a test unit for light bombardment aircraft at Maxwell Field, Alabama. The squadron was disbanded in the spring of 1942[4] in a reorganization of United States Army Air Forces operational testing units.
Mapping in the Pacific
The second predecessor of the squadron was activated in the fall of 1942 as the 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron. After training in the United States under Second Air Force, the squadron deployed to the China Burma India Theater, where it performed combat mapping. mostly with North American B-25 Mitchells and Consolidated B-24 Liberators equipped with vertical and oblique Mapping cameras until moving to Clark Field in the Philippines, where it was inactivated in 1946. In Asia, the squadron deployed detachments to a number of locations, although the headquarters remained in Guskhara Airfield, India.[2]
Air Force reserve
The squadron was activated again in the reserves in 1947 as the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron, but apparently was not equipped before inactivating when Continental Air Command reorganized under the Wing Base Organization plan in 1949.[citation needed]
The third predecessor of the squadron was activated in 1956 as the 24th Helicopter Squadron at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee. After several months of training the squadron moved to Tachikawa Air Base, Japan, where it served until 1960. The transfer was made on an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy.[5] The unit's mission was to maintain helicopter logistics airlift capability, to perform air land supply operations, scheduled and special airlift operations, and conduct training.[6] Detachment 2 of the squadron was attached to the 41st Air Division to provide logistical support to the division's remote radar sites.[7] In 1958 and 1959 the squadron returned to Burma when it participated in Operation South Bound, which provided assistance to the Burmese Air Force in combatting local insurrectionists.[8][9]
Operations in Central and South America
A Uruguayan tactical air controller stands guard over a squadron OA-37 Dragonfly
The squadron was redesignated the 24th Special Operations Squadron and activated in Panama in 1969. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with its two predecessor units. The consolidated squadron became the 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron in 1987, and was inactivated in the spring of 1991.[1]
Close air support training
An F-16C Fighting Falcon on display at Aviation Nation 2019 at Nellis Air Force Base.
The squadron became non operational in December 2020, which was marked by an "inactivation ceremony" at Nellis.[11] It was inactivated on 1 June 2022.[12]
Helicopter training
The squadron was redesignated the 24th Helicopter Squadron and activated in December 2024 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. It is a regular Air Force associate of Air Force Reserve Command's 703d Helicopter Squadron, conducting training on the Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter. It is assigned to the 58th Operations Group, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.[12] The squadron will train its first cohort of students for the Grey Wolf. They will build on foundational skills learned in basic helicopter courses, refining them into mission-ready capabilities focused on complex operational scenarios, including night landings, low-altitude maneuvers and precision targeting.[3]
Lineage
24th Bombardment Squadron
Constituted as the 24th Attack-Bombardment Squadron on 1 August 1939
Redesignated 24th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 28 September 1939
Activated on 1 December 1939
Disbanded on 1 May 1942
Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium and 24th Composite Squadron as 24th Composite Squadron[1]
24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
Constituted as the 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron on 14 July 1942
Activated on 2 September 1942
Redesignated as 24th Photographic Squadron, Heavy on 6 February 1943
Redesignated as 24th Combat Mapping Squadron on 11 August 1943
Inactivated on 15 June 1946
Redesignated 24th Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic, Radar Counter-Measures on 13 May 1947
Activated in the reserve on 12 July 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
Redesignated 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Photographic on 4 October 1951
Activated on 10 October 1951
Redesignated 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 16 June 1952
Redesignated 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium and inactivated on 16 January 1953
Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with 24th Bombardment Squadron, (Light) and 24th Composite Squadron as 24th Composite Squadron[1]
24th Helicopter Squadron
Constituted as the 24th Helicopter Squadron on 24 February 1956
Activated on 9 July 1956
Inactivated on 8 March 1960
Redesignated 24th Special Operations Squadron on 6 March 1969
Activated on 18 March 1969
Redesignated 24th Composite Squadron on 15 November 1973
Inactivated on 1 July 1975
Activated on 1 January 1976
Consolidated with 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium and 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 19 September 1985
Redesignated 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 1 January 1987
Inactivated on 31 March 1991
Activated on 2 March 2018
Inactivated on 1 June 2022
Redesignated 24th Helicopter Squadron on 23 October 2024
↑Approved 2 April 1945. Description: Over and through a medium blue disc, wide border yellow orange, edged black, a caricatured wolf wearing brown aviator's helmet and shoes, yellow sweater, red gloves and trousers, and having brown revolver in holster about waist, running toward dexter, in front of a large, white cloud formation, holding a sheet of white paper in the right hand, pointing a black aerial camera toward base with left forepaw, and leaving black horizontal speed lines to rear.
↑SAC found itself with two 24th Bombardment Squadrons when the 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron became a bombardment unit. The 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, assigned to the 68th Wing, and the 24th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy at Walker Air Force Base, assigned to the 6th Bombardment Wing. SAC elected to replace the squadron at Chennault. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 125–127.
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